The Half Blood King
by Kyra Renee
Summary: Hours before his untimely death, Duncan entrusted an old acquaintance to look after Alistair Theirin. Her promise to watch over him until the Blight has been ended will lead to the forging of new friendships, unearthing secrets of the past, heartbreak and the chance to make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of love.
1. Chapter 1

There were fewer troops at Ostagar than she had originally anticipated. The correspondence from Duncan had made it sound like all of Thedas would be gathering to launch an assault on the darkspawn and her upper lip curled as her nose wrinkled in disappointment. Well, what they had assembled would have to do and she passed between the rows of tents towards the heart of the fortress.

Crumbling pillars protruded from the damp dying earth and the trodden ground squelched unpleasantly beneath her boots. Soldiers milled about the encampment, paying the elf no mind as she weaved between them in search of the senior Grey Warden. Duncan was the only reason she was there, after all. The woman had no interest in involving herself in the affairs of men and she yawned and rolled her shoulders back.

The man stood silhouetted against the orange glow of the bonfire and she stepped up alongside him as a light drizzle began. How fitting, she thought coolly as her large cerulean eyes shifted to his shadowed face. "Is he here?" She asked and he nodded once and gestured over his shoulder to where a man stood speaking with three others. "New recruits?" She sounded mildly impressed and Duncan nodded again as he finally dragged his dark gaze to meet hers.

"You _are_ getting desperate," she mused and his broad shoulders slumped forward in silent defeat.

"Things are looking more and more grim with each passing day," the low rumble of his voice bled into the clap of thunder that shook the trees around them. "We are facing a Blight and we had tried so hard to−" He cut himself off abruptly as the woman next to him snorted loudly and rolled her eyes back towards the flames. His spine straightened and she ignored the affronted look on his grizzled face.

"There are some things that you cannot control, Grey Warden. I had thought you of all people would have come to understand that by now," her arms folded across her chest and she lowered her chin towards her chest as the thick logs crackled. "Besides, your _purpose_ is to stop this Blight from claiming the world. We are counting on you. Even those that doubt you are counting on you."

"And there are many that doubt us," his voice was sharp and she looked back over her shoulder at the group of new recruits. None of them knew what Hellfire they were about to walk into and she let her arms fall back down to her sides as her attention shifted back to the man beside her.

"How is she?" He asked finally.

"She's doing well," the woman responded. "She sends you her best as well as her gratitude. Although, making him a Grey Warden was a bold move on your part, Duncan," the woman almost sounded amused and there was a subtle lift to her lips as she spoke.

"Conscripting him was better than the alternative," he argued and the woman laughed quietly.

"If that eases your conscience, Warden, then you may continue to tell yourself that," she waved a hand through the air and sighed. "Fiona was not pleased with the news that her son was following in her footsteps. You are just lucky that the boy survived the Joining. Had he died..." She trailed off and shook her head.

"But he didn't," Duncan reminded her coolly and she quirked a brow at him. He was a bold man but she didn't quiver at his booming voice or practiced stoicism the way others often did.

"But he didn't," she agreed with a small inclination of her head. The elf knew when to choose her battles and this was not one she was willing to engage in at the moment. Silence settled between them for a few heartbeats before she brought her hands up and held them out to catch the heat from the flames.

"What is it that you need me to do? I know you did not summon me here just to discuss my personal opinions on your poor decision-making skills," she spoke quietly but firmly and her slender fingers wiggled eagerly.

"Such an astute observation," he mumbled dryly as he clasped his hands together and sighed heavily. She could sense the weight of the burden he carried and her expression softened as she watched him from her peripheral. "I need you to keep an eye on him."

"Aren't you doing that now?" She asked.

Duncan's dark eyes reflected the firelight as he turned to face her directly. He was at least two heads taller and lean with hard muscle that rippled with his movements. The man was an imposing figure and her gaze traveled up the great length of his body to his face. The expression he wore was solemn and she gave him her unwavering attention, dropping all previous hints of sarcasm.

"I am," he said. "But I fear..." Duncan trailed off and steeled himself by taking a deep breath. "I fear that this battle will not go as well as our king hopes it to. If the worst should come to pass, I want to know that he will be looked after. You do not have to engage with him directly. He does not need to know who you are or who sent you. But keep an eye on him from afar. He may be our only hope to end this Blight."

For a moment she was silent and she listened to the beating of her own heart trapped in her chest. Finally, she lowered her hands from the fire and turned to face him. Her chin tilted so that she could meet his gaze squarely. "You say this with such confidence," her brow furrowed in confusion and for the first time since she had met the Warden, she saw him smile.

"My confidence is the only thing that's kept me alive this long," he told her with a soft chuckle.

"If you won't agree to do this for me, then agree to do this for Fiona," he reached for her hand unexpectedly and she gasped in surprise. His hands were rough and worn, but strong and pleasantly warm. She could feel each callous and scar and her eyes darted over to the young man with the golden hair and melodious laughter. He was so _young_ and she closed her eyes.

"I will do this, for both of you," she said after a moment. Her eyes opened and she blinked at him. "I will look after him until this Blight is over and then he will be on his own. That is the best I can offer you."

"It is more than enough," Duncan squeezed her hand between both of his before releasing her and stepping back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a ritual to prepare for and new recruits to see to." Relief flooded his features, but he was still tense and his words were curt. His dismissal was abrupt and the woman blinked twice at him in surprise before her expression melted into one of mild amusement. There _was_ a battle on the horizon, after all.

"Of course, Warden." She extended an arm and gestured for him to take his leave of her. She had no reason to keep him from his duties and she turned back to the fire with thin arms folded tightly against her chest and the leather Elven armor that covered her upper body. "I will see you on the battlefield, then. _Dareth shiral_ , Duncan."

The Warden bowed his head in parting and turned. She could see him hesitating from the corner of her eye and the hand that touched her shoulder was lighter than a feather, " _Ma serannas_ , Liranni." It could have been a whisper of the wind or the popping of the firewood, but there was no mistaking the genuine gratitude in his voice and her hand reached up to cover his for a moment before he was pulling away.


	2. Chapter 2

The woman remained crouched down low as she peered over what had once been an impressive rampart. Her fingertips pressed against the crumbling stone and she rocked forward onto the balls of her feet−ready to spring forward at a moment's notice.

Even from her perch she could taste the darkspawn taint on the air. The rancid smell of rot and decay burned her nostrils and she watched the torches bobbing in the distance as the horde approached just over the ridge. Below her was nothing but strained silence and she could see King Cailan shining like a beacon in his striking gold plated armor. He was certainly one for theatrics, was he not? The woman scoffed and shifted her gaze to the Grey Warden that stood alongside him, as unmoving as a statue.

Archers were positioned along the ramparts and tucked safely behind the parapets just above her, allowing them a better vantage point of the horde as it neared their soldiers. Not a single one of them spoke and Liranni rolled herself up and onto her feet as the bellow of an ogre bounced off of the walls and shook her bones.

Their eerie horns blared and the bleating built into a deafening crescendo that caused the woman to cringe. The torchlight glinted off of their raised swords and brandished weapons as they galloped and ran forward like a deadly wave.

She heard the satisfying sound of bows being drawn tight as the archers shifted into position and awaited the signal. The king raised his arm and held his closed fist above his head for what felt like an eternity. "Maker preserve us," one of the archer's whispered and Liranni turned her head just a fraction as Cailan lowered his arm and the cry to fire at will traveled along the lines in a ripple.

The arrows whistled through the air and she swept off of the rampart as the shrieks rose up from the ground. She swung herself over the ledge and slid down to land easily on both feet as a cloud of dust and dirt swirled around her. Straggles rushed from inside of the fortress to join in as the sound of clashing metal and steel joined in the cacophony of cries from man and darkpsawn alike. She had no doubt that it was a bloodbath and she crossed the empty camp towards the tower.

The abandoned tents flapped and fluttered in the chilling night wind and her blue skirt brushed against her bare legs. She had traded her leathers for a silver haubrek and her inky black hair was pulled back and twisted into a single braid that swept between her shoulder blades like a pendulum with each deliberate step she took.

Duncan had sent the younger Warden and the new recruit to the Tower of Ishal to oversee the lighting of the beacon and she looked up as the stone tower cut through the night. The job, Duncan had assured them, was simple but imperative for their victory and she looked over her shoulder as several archers were flung from their posts. Their cries were soon drowned out and her lips twisted into a frown. This was turning out to be far bloodier than she had anticipated and Liranni quickened her steps.

Bodies littered the grounds at the bottom of the tower stairs and the elf frowned deeply. She nudged one with the toe of her boot and was met with glossy unseeing eyes of a Ferelden soldier. His armor was shredded and soaked with blood and she looked up at the door that stood ajar. The twin silverite daggers were pulled loose from her belt and she held them nimbly as she ascended the stairs and eased the heavy door open to step inside. She was greeted with silence and her large eyes narrowed as she slipped through the shadows and followed the fresh carnage through the tower.

Her Warden had been there. In fact, he was _still_ there, carving his way through the tower and towards the beacon that would signal Teyrn Loghain's troops. The ambush would undoubtedly be the turning point in the battle and she rushed along the blood slicked stairs. Her boots slipped in the foul smelling ichor that soaked into the cracks between the stones. Rather than skirt around the puddles and pools on the floor, she ran straight through them and winced when it splashed up onto her legs.

The roar of an ogre sent her heart thudding painfully and she grit her teeth as she hooked sharply around a corner and nearly toppled into a wounded genlock. She cut through the darkspawn with a single swipe of her blade and knocked the gurgling creature out of her way to sprint up the final set of stairs. The woman was winded and she paused as she watched the Warden plunge his blade into the heart of the monstrous beast and the entire tower shuddered when the lifeless body slammed against the floor.

Well, that was one way to do things...

Had she not been so afraid for the man's life, she may have been impressed. But as it were, she could do nothing more than look on as he and his companion wore matching expressions of shock and bewilderment before quickly remembering themselves.

"The beacon! Quick!" The golden haired Warden was shouting. The man with him gathered himself together and crossed the room to yank a torch from the wall and throw it onto the pile of sticks and linens that easily caught flame.

Hidden behind the wall of the stairs, Liranni breathed out a quiet sigh of relief and slid further down. She could scarcely breathe and her lungs burned with each labored inhale. Perhaps she should work more on her stamina in the future, and she was ready to turn and slip out of sight when the butt of a sword caught her in the temple, sending her toppling down the stairs. The daggers were knocked loose from her hands and she rolled over to tuck herself up against the wall as the world spun in and out of focus.

The stampede of boots reverberated against the stone and she tried to blink through the blood that ran down the side of her face in rivulets. _Darkspawn_. They had managed to infiltrate the tower and she silenced her cry as one trampled her legs. They were paying her no mind as they rushed for the Wardens and she gasped as she forced herself onto her stomach and groped blindly for her weapons. They were outnumbered at least three dozen to two and she pressed the heel of her palm to her temple as the ground pitched beneath her and she groaned.

If nothing else, she had to get to him and drag him to safety. She would let the other recruit die if she had to, but not _him_. She had made a promise to Duncan and a promise to Fiona that she would protect the boy and she would sooner fall victim to the Blight than fail.

By the time she had her legs beneath her, she could hear the shouts of the men beneath the brutal assault of the darkspawn and she swore. She could still help them. She could still...wait, _was that a dragon_?

Liranni hit her knees and continued to clutch at her head as the shriek of the dragon silenced the roars of the darkspawn and the shadow fell upon the tower. Was this how she died? She almost wanted to laugh and she crawled her way up the steps as the eviscerated remains of the darkspawn were strewn about the tower. The stench made her stomach churn and she was forced to pause on more than one occasion to cover her nose and mouth with her hand as her stomach twisted and bile rose in her throat.

She reached the final stair and used the low ledge of the wall to pull herself onto unsteady feet. The dragon surveyed it's handiwork and she took a step forward as it reached out to gather both unconscious men together and pluck them from the ground in a firm hold. "Hey!" Liranni shouted out the word and the dragon turned its head and cocked it to the side in a very human-like gesture. It almost looked... _amused_ , and the elf glowered. "Put them down!" But her demands were ignored as the dragon turned and climbed over the rubble from the hole it had created and spread its wings to take flight.

"No!" The woman ignored the shooting pain in her leg as she rushed after the beast and scrambled over the stone and mortar. There was nothing she could do other than watch helplessly as they disappeared into the darkness over the ridge. Releasing a frustrated cry, she balled her hands into fists and pounded them against the broken stone as she slid down and closed her eyes. She had no choice but to gather herself together and go after the damn thing and she huffed. Well, _that_ had not gone at all according to plan. No had factored a _dragon_ into the equation.

She just hoped that Duncan had fared better than she and his ward...


End file.
